Reforming a drug addict

It was in 1990 that a number of things happened that changed my course of my life.
On top of the list was denial of promotion. The promotion took place once a year and, when my turn came, I was left on the sidelines – the reason given by my boss was that the promotion was given to another senior officer who was on the verge of retirement. The promotion would mean that he would call it a day with a little more money.
I did not grumble because the gentleman was a very senior person and, also knowledgeable – hence, he was a deserving candidate.
However, when next year I was once again sidetracked, the reason given was that the officer who got promoted was my senior in the department. Hence, I should not grumble.
And, at this time, I suddenly got the information that a close relative of mine had fallen into the trap of drug dealers and had become a drug addict. His mother and brother were worried. They had put him into a rehab center but, once he came out, he again went back to his old ways.

Therefore, when I went to Kolkata on leave, they implored me to take the errant young man with me to Nashik. The general understanding in the family was that a change of scenario might help him to mend his ways.
I agreed and when I returned back to Nashik, he and his mother accompanied me and my family. And – during the long 28-hour journey, I had to keep a watch continuously whenever the train halted at a station to see that he did not give us the slip.
After he came into my family, I was wondering how to keep him engaged and, as a first step, I got him enrolled into a typewriting institute so that he could at least learn a new trade and would stand a better chance of getting some sort of employment.
Then I discussed his position with a friend of mine who also happened to be a writer of sorts and he agreed to get him an employed. It so happened that language software was entering the market at the time and one publishing house wanted to buy a package of four language software. The owner had decided on Hindi, Guajarati and Marathi and my friend requested him to add Bengali also. (to be continued …...)

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